477: American McGee - From Doom to Dark Wonderland - The Retro Hour EP477
We’re joined by legendary game developer American McGee, who takes us on a journey from his humble beginnings on the Timex Sinclair and Commodore 64 to designing iconic levels for Doom II and Quake. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from iD Software, reveals how a Ferrari-driving neighbour turned out to be John Carmack, and discusses the gothic inspirations behind American McGee’s Alice. Plus, we hear about his time at EA, and why being fired from iD turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him!
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
35:28 - American McGee Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
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We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
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Website: http://theretrohour.com
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
YouTube Turns 20: https://tinyurl.com/mrx88ybs
Windows on Game Boy: https://tinyurl.com/25mkwpdp
OutRun the Movie: https://tinyurl.com/5n6r8ntk
Neon Hearts City: https://tinyurl.com/yvezebcn
Upcoming events
RetCon 2025 – https://retconfestival.co.uk/
PT1210 – https://www.ptweekender.com/
RetroMessa – https://www.retromessa.no/
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1:27:41
476: The Commodore Amiga at 40: The Original Developers' Story - The Retro Hour EP476
As the Commodore Amiga celebrates its 40th birthday, we hear stories from original developers Dale Luck, Jeff Porter, Andy Finkel, and others. Recorded live at VCF East in New Jersey, our Dan gets the story of this legendary machine direct from the people who made it happen.
Thanks to Amiga Bill for recording the interview, and joining us for the news this week!
🌟 Twitch: twitch.tv/AmigaBill
📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@AmigaBill
🌐 Website: AmigaBill.tv
VCF Event: https://vcfed.org/
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
45:00 - Amiga 40th Panel
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
New Sega Saturn homebrew racer: https://tinyurl.com/2sn87by7
Compute’s Gazette returns: https://tinyurl.com/yc7km7yn
Limited Run DOOM I & II collection: https://tinyurl.com/yyw46vhc
AmigaOS update released: https://tinyurl.com/4fzbs2d8
Mechanoids 2 – The Final Conflict: https://tinyurl.com/3mkh48rs
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1:56:13
475: The Story of Unreal Tournament – With Producer Neil Haldar - The Retro Hour EP475
This week we’re joined by Neil Haldar, a pivotal figure behind the legendary Unreal Tournament. From dropping out of medical school to leading major projects at Sierra Online, GT Interactive, and MGM Studios, Neil shares incredible stories from his time shaping iconic games. Plus, we rewind to the 3DO era, and get the inside story on licensed games like 007 Racing and Rocky.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
42:36 - Neil Haldar Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
AI-generated Quake mixes reactions: https://tinyurl.com/tcevvphu
John Carmack defends AI Quake II level: https://tinyurl.com/55kne3rm
New N-Gage release: https://tinyurl.com/28rzes4x
The World Is Not Enough prototype: https://tinyurl.com/54vwzw6p
GameCube comes to Switch 2: https://tinyurl.com/3v7cujsc
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1:42:29
474: The Dark Origins of Horror Games - The Retro Hour EP474
This week, we catch up with Richard Moss and welcome first-time guest Connor O’Keane, the creative minds behind the spine-chilling documentary series TerrorBytes. In this follow-up to our earlier chat with the TerrorBytes team, we explore the evolution of horror in video games, from lo-fi jump scares to controversial bans and accidental nightmares. Plus, why horror in games is more than just guts and gore, and what really makes a game scary…
TerrorBytes website: https://terrorbytesdoc.com/
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
35:09 - TerrorBytes Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
Long Lost NES Populous Found: https://tinyurl.com/y434kfzw
Ghosts ’N Goblins Tribute Gladmort: https://tinyurl.com/ymr98anx
Krogharr – New Amiga Slasher: https://tinyurl.com/79xfph5p
Exploding PSPs Warning: https://tinyurl.com/mvj9msph
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1:27:22
473: What Gen-Z Can Teach Us About Retro Tech – Kari Lawler Joins The Show - The Retro Hour EP473
This week, we’re joined by YouTuber Kari Lawler, who’s breathing new life into vintage systems! At 21 years old, Kari’s love for old-school computing spans BBC Micros, Apple IIs, and even programming from classic magazine listings. We chat about her early coding days, winning a space tech challenge at 15, the origins of her channel, and why treating viewers with intelligence is the key to her fast-growing fanbase.
Kari's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@karilawler
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
39:46 - Kari Lawler Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
Sensi Soccer on NES found: https://tinyurl.com/4mdu5bp3
Another Nintendo PlayStation: https://tinyurl.com/yhw79w7x
Wipeout Dreamcast: https://youtu.be/01MuoxLTQ9o
Full Size Amiga 1200 delayed: https://tinyurl.com/y7e9jhet
Portugal